“It’s been a *big* year for Israeli Food-Tech, with four major deals this year already:

AB InBev, which owns Budweiser, bought Weissbeerger for $80M. This was about analytics to provide insights into consumer preferences and habits.

International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) bought Frutarom for $7.1B –this was about R&D and market share.

Takeaway.com bought online food marketplace Ten Bis for $157M –this was about buying a successful platform for hungry techies and exporting it abroad.

And then came the banner deal: Pepsico bought SodaStream for $3.2B. This is hugely important for Pepsi –who have been trying to buy SodaStream for a while as it tries to brand itself as a company that cares about people’s health.

Foodtech in general is a growing trend around the world, and there are specific areas where Israel especially stands out. And stand out it has. Start-Up Nation Finder is tracking some 250 currently active companies working in the field –a steady increase in the number of companies over the past few years. Investment activity has been strong for years now, with between 19–33 venture-backed investments rounds annually since 2014 and an overall increase in total funding annually. In 2017, Food Tech companies brought in $117M total in 27 rounds. Exits—even excluding Frutarom—have been growing in value and number, too.”

"Anger seldom works against Trump; he owns the currency and can always issue more of it. In addressing the rogue President directly, or speaking about him in the third person, Pelosi usually adopts a tone that is more sorrowful than angry..."

"Are public-school teachers really underpaid? It’s a claim often made during teacher pay disputes, but the same data and statistical methods that produce the “teacher salary gap” lead to some ridiculous conclusions..."

"Having a Library or Cafe Down the Block Could Change Your Life: Living close to public amenities—from parks to grocery stores—increases trust, decreases loneliness, and restores faith in local government."